Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy

NEWS UPDATE

~ August 5, 2011 ~ Hearing dates for Phase 3: What happened at Pike River?

The Commission will hold hearings in November and December 2011, and February 2012, in relation to its inquiries into Phase Three: What happened at Pike River? [http://pikeriver.royalcommission.govt.nz/List-of-Issues]

The Phase Three hearing dates are:

Monday 14 November to Friday 25 November 2011

Monday 5 December to Friday 16 December 2011

(Monday 19 December – Wednesday 21 December 2011

have been set aside if required)

Tuesday 7 February – Friday 17 February 2012

Written evidence is due by Monday 19 September 2011.

The Commission is mindful that the November hearings will be held at a time when the West Coast community and the country will be marking the one year anniversary of the tragedy at the Pike River Coal Mine.

Phase 2: Search & Rescue inquiries are progressing

The Commission inquiries into Phase Two: Search and Rescue [http://pikeriver.royalcommission.govt.nz/List-of-Issues]are underway with documents being analysed and other information gathered.

This analysis will help shape the hearing plan and witness list for the next hearings during September as the Commission identifies where information gaps exist and where further examination of evidence already provided is needed.

The Commission expects to release the hearing plan for the Phase Two: Search and Rescue hearings by Friday 26 August.

The Phase Two hearings are scheduled to run from 5 September to 23 September.

Phase 1: Context hearings

The first round of public hearings has provided the Commission with valuable information to help with the interpretation and consideration of the thousands of documents submitted for the Phase One: Context inquiries.

The hearings concluded with around 47 hours of evidence from 12 witnesses providing information that will help the Commission address issues such as the regulatory environment, requirements and practices, the resourcing and implementation of mining law, the geography and the approval, design and development of the mine.

Transcripts from each day of the hearings are available from the Commission's website [http://pikeriver.royalcommission.govt.nz/Commission-Hearings#transcripts] .

The Commission thanks the team at the Greymouth District Court for the support and use of their facilities to help ensure the hearings ran smoothly.

~ Key Dates ~

Phase 2 Hearings: 5 September

- 23 September 2011

Phase 3 Hearings details available now.

ends

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